JD Roberto

There's no clear path from Tisch Drama’s Experimental Theatre Wing to the set of a daytime talk show. I could never have imagined that gyrating in various states of undress on the second floor of 721 Broadway would—somehow—be preparation for telling a midwestern housewife that she'd just won A NEW CAR! on The Price is Right.

My career has been a series of unpredictable spasms in unexpected directions. I've created original stage works with New York City theatre legends and then hosted unspeakably bad reality TV shows. I've performed in theme parks, casinos, regional theatres, the wilds of Alaska, and the Australian Outback. I've also run a non-profit theatre company, picked up an MFA in writing, and mastered the art of teleprompter.

It has, by any measure, been an interesting twenty years. During my time at NYU, no one could have told me the kind of diverse career I was training for. Which, I guess, is for the best. Knowing would have taken all the fun out of the adventure.